Toe walker
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My 5 year old is still walking on his toes. I have always watched carefully he is meeting mile stones and possible signs for autism. My son is very social and active. Any suggestions? Thank you!
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If you are going to your well checks at your pediatrician they would have noticed by now if it was a major concern. That being said, I always recommend PT/OT if you want to work on breaking the habit. It could be more of a sensory thing about not wanting the sole of the foot to touch the ground.
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Recently saw this post and thought it might be helpful for you: https://www.instagram.com/p/DLF_xZixMWa/?img_index=8&igsh=MXhnMjFzdDJxdmVkcw==
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It would be best to get your son evaluated by a pediatric PT. Toe walking doesn’t mean he has autism. Sensory issues or abnormal (high or low) tone could have been the initial (or continued) reason for the toe walking. If he has been toe walking for this long, his Achilles tendon and calf muscle could actually be shortening making it harder for him to walk normally. Getting a PT evaluation will help you get a better understanding of why he is toe walking and how to fix it.
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Hello! I am going to piggy-back on dockatiept's great response. Everything she mentioned is correct. In addition, we will occasionally see kids who are flat-footed prefer a toe-walking gait pattern as it offers them more stability. A pediatric PT, podiatrist or pediatric orthopedic specialist can help. Once the cause is identified (and sometimes it is as simple as that is their preferred walking pattern and we have to work to break that), we can work on solutions. Often that involves verbal cueing for "remember to put your heel to the ground", physical therapy, shoes/inserts that encourage heels to be on the ground. I recently was introduced to this brand of shoes that encourages avoidance of toe walking. Hope this helps!
https://ikiki.co/pages/toe-walking-and-ikiki-shoes?srsltid=AfmBOor-yRDWNDRdEZLxU0w_caVYEZIQ1QL9Cr_9kPoEtbu-0X7RwV1g
